BUSINESS MEMO

Homedco, 1749Y Independence, in Cape Girardeau, has contracted with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri to be an Alliance network and participating provider.

In addition, IV Care, 63 Doctors' Park, and SEMO Homecare, 724 Broadway, have contracted to be participating providers.

Homedco provides medical equipment/home respiratory therapy and home infusion therapy; IV Care provides home infusion therapy and SEMO Homecare provides medical equipment/home respiratory therapy.

The Alliance program pays the highest level of benefits when groups or clients use network providers. Under the participating provider contract, providers agree to accept the insurance company's "usual, customary and reasonable" charge as payment for covered services.

"These providers share our vital interest in holding down health care costs for our groups and clients," said Tom Sweeney, vice president/Network Management. "We're continually looking to expand our arrangements with providers who share that interest."

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ANNA, Ill. Terry Rueffer has been elected president of the Anna-Jonesboro Merchants Association.

Other officers elected recently are Candace Linton, vice president, and Moury Bass, secretary-treasurer.

Events planned by the association include a "Moonlight Madness" sale Aug. 2, and fall sidewalk sale for Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-4. The group sponsored a spring sidewalk sale recently.

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PERRYVILLE The sixth annual Secretaries Briefing will be held at the Perryville American Legion Hall April 21.

Topics at the video conference, to be held from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., will include techniques for managing stress in the office, how work successfully with all types of people, and adapting your own style for communications in the work place.

The fee is $13 and includes lunch.

Additional information and reservations are available by contacting University Extension in Perry County (314)-547-4504.

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The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions in three areas this month.

The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available April 21 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions (about one hour) are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment.

He will conduct sessions at the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce April 20 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Appointments are available by calling 471-2498. He will hold sessions at the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning office in Perryville April 22 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Appointments are available by calling 547-8357.

The Small Business Development Center represents a "Partnership for Economic Development" between Southeast Missouri State University, the U.S. Small Business Administration, local financial institutions, area utility companies and Southeast Missouri municipalities.

The goal of the center is to stimulate diversity and growth in small business by assisting new and existing businesses to become more productive and more profitable.

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Cabbage Patch Kid Sylvia Arleen has arrived at Cape Art Mart for a visit.

Sylvia Arleen, who has visited Hong Kong and Europe, will be in Cape Girardeau to learn a little about Missouri and the Mississippi River before departing April 13 for Cleveland, Ga., home of the Cabbage Patch, in time for the annual Cabbage Patch Collector's Convention there.

Sylvia is a Hasbro licensed Cabbage Patch Kid and can be found in many retail toy departments. Cape Art Mart, 21 Plaza Way, carries only the original hand-stitched-to-birth Cabbage Patch Kids that are made and delivered in Georgia.

Sylvia was designed as a project to help first-graders learn some geography by following Sylvia in her travels. She is a being sent on a trip around the world.

Cape Art Mart will host the mobile Cabbage Patch unit in November.